Safety gate



J. D. JORDAN Jan. 5, 1960 SAFETY GATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1945 INVENTOR JAMES 0. JORDAN ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1960 J. D. JORDAN 2, 19,

' SAFETY GATE Filed March 2, 1945 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 lNVENTbR Y JAMES 0. JORDAN SAFETY GATE James D. Jordan, Washington, D.C., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application March 2, 1945, Serial No. 580,548

2 Claims. (Cl. 10270.2)

This invention relates generally to projectile fuzes, and more particularly to an improved inertia operated delayed action safety gate.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an inertia operated delayed action gate which will become operative upon rotational deceleration or decrease in spin of the projectile after it leaves the muzzle of the gun.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein relative movement between one .or more rotors and a cooperative part of the projectile, .which movement is necessary in order to align various parts of the firing train, will take place relatively slowly so as to provide delayed arming.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an inertia operated delayed action safety gate construction which is simple and rugged in character and which will be efiicient in operation.

A further object is to provide such a safety gate which is designed and constructed to close a detonating circuit for electrical. detonation.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become evident from the remainder of this specification taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal diametric section of a fuze incorporating the principles of the present invention, the booster container and portions of the cam being broken away and the safety gate being shown in the initial or safe" position.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. l and looking in the direction of the arrow, also showing the gate in safe position.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the gate and adjacent parts, in armed position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the equivalent parts of a fuze construction of somewhat modified design.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to Fig. 1 and showing a fuze of another modified construction.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 5, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the rotor cage of the embodiment shown in Figs. 5-7, partially broken away.

Referring now to the drawings more particularly, and first to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the numeral 1 designates generally the can of a fuze adapted for use in a projectile (not shown). The can 1 is provided with a web 2, having an axial opening 3 which defines a bearing. Formed in the web 2 and disposed eccentrically with respect to the opening 3 is a firing train opening 4.

Mounted in the can above the web 2, is a flywheel or disc 5 which is formed with a spindle 6 mounted for free States aent I ig i rotation in the bearing defined by the opening 3. The disc 5 overlies the major portion of the upper surface of the web 2 and is journaled at its upper end by means of the bearing 7, of conical shape, which receives the point of a conical pivot 8 formed upon the disc or rotor 5. The support 9 for the bearing 7 is screwed into a suitably tapped-portion 90, an opening 10 being formed in the disc 9 in axial alignment with the opening 4 in web 2. An opening 14 in the rotor 5 is so located as to register with the openings 4, 10 when the fuze is in armed position, but is normally 'disaligned therewith when the fuze is in'safe position.

A driving pin 11 projects inwardly from the body of the can in position to engage a cooperating pin 12 projecting upwardly from the rotor. In operation, when the projectile containing this device is fired, the spin of the projectile is imparted to the rotor through the pins 11', 12 so that during rotational acceleration, the pins 11, 12 remain in engagement. During rotational deceleration, however, after the projectile has left the muzzle, the inertia of the rotor, tends to cause it to overrun or rotate faster than the projectile. During such relative rotation, the opening 14- is carried into registry with the openings 4, 10, thereby completing the firing train and placing the fuze in the armed condition, in which position the rotor is stopped and held by another pin 12A which moves into engagement with the opposite side of pin 11. The blast from the firing squib or other priming means (diagrammatically indicated at 10A, mounted in the opening 10) may then be conducted through the aligned openings 14, 4 to detonate the booster 28- and fire the projectile. A spring-pressed detent 18 retractable by centrifugal force projects inwardly from the can and lies upon the opposite side of pin 12 from pin 11 to completely block movement of the rotor until firing, when it moves out of the way under the force resulting from rotation of the projectile.

lnthe modification shown in Fig. 4, the operating parts areessentially similar to those already described, with the addition of contact fingers 15, 16 secured to and projecting radially inwardly from the wall of the can in position to be engaged by the pin 12. Pin 12A may be omitted, since spring contact finger 16 acts as a stop. Contact finger 16 is formed of resilient material so that the contacts may be closed by the inertia of the disc as it attempts to overrun during deceleration of the projecile. The fingers are insulated from one another and from the remainder of the assembly, and adapted to be connected in circuit, as by wires 15a, 16a, with an electrically operable squib (not shown in Fig. 4) to fire the squib and cause the projectile to be exploded when the contact is made.

In the further modification shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, a pair of gear type rotors 21, 22 are employed, mounted for rotation about planetary axes and carried by a cage 23 rotatable in the fuze body. The peripheral teeth of the rotors mesh with an internal toothed ring gear 24 mounted in the can and shown as held in position by set screws 25. An opening 26 in the web 27 communicates with the booster 2S, and the rotors 21, 22 are provided with openings 29, 30 adapted to register with one another and with the opening 26 to complete the firing train and armthe fuze. In Fig. 6 the parts are shown in the safe position, with the geared rotors so turned as to disalign the openings 26, 30, 29. A pin 32 fixed to the body of the can and projecting inwardly to overlie the cage 23 is provided to drive the cage dur- 2,919,64 Patented Jan. 5, 1960 disaligned and the fuze therefore in safe condition. This relationship of the parts is maintained as long as angular acceleration continues. As rotation slows, however, after the projectile has left the bore, the cage tends to con tinue to turn at the higher rate overrunning the projectile, so that pin 33 leaves pin 32, the cage turning counterclockwise as the arts are viewed in Fig. 6, with respect to the projectile. A second pin 34a carried by the cage, is so positioned as to bring up against the opposite side of the pin 32, to stop relative rotation between the cage and projectile, at the position in which openings 26, '29, 30 are in registry with one another. It will be evident that during relative rotation of the cage and projectile, the gears 21, 22 roll upon the internal toothed ring gear 24, rotating upon their axes 21a, 22a. With the geared rotors, and their apertures, arranged as shown in Fig. 6, it will be seen that the rotors are required to make almost one complete revolution in order to arm the fuze. The positioning of pin 34 is only illustrative in the drawings, and in practice is so calculated as to stop the rotation of the parts in the exact location necessary to align the apertures and permit the detonating blast to travel therethrough.

I claim:

1. In a projectile fuze construction, in combination with a container adapted to be mounted in a projectile, safety gate means mounted in the container including a plurality of rotors, a carrier independently rotatable about that portion of the container corresponding to the axis of the projectile, and supporting said rotors for orbital axes lying parallel to said projectile axis, said rotors having overlapping portions, cooperating firing portions carried by said rotors and movable into registry with one another to place the construction in armed condition upon predetermined revolution of the rotors, a gear portion carried by the container, said rotors havinggeared portions rollable over said gear portion during independent rotation of the carrier with respect tocthe container, and one-way driving means restricting independent rotation of the carrier upon rotational acceleration of the container in a predetermined direction and thereby maintaining said rotors in angular positions such that their firing portions are in disaligned relation, said oneway driving means permitting said carrier to rotate faster than the container and overrun the latter during rotational deceleration of the container in said direction, whereby the resultant independent rotation of the carrier may in- 4 duce rolling movement of the rotors over the gear portion carried by the container, to bring the firing portions carried by said rotors into registry.

2. In a projectile fuze construction, having a container adapted to be mounted in a projectile, primer means and detonating means; in combination, safety gate means mounted in said container between said primer and detonating means and including at least one rotor, a carrier independently rotatable about that portion of the container corresponding to the axis of the projectile and supporting said rotor for orbital rotation with and about a planetary axis, said planetary axis lying parallel to said projectile axis, said rotor having a firing portion movable into registry with said primer means and said detonating means to place the assembly in armed condition upon predetermined revolution of said rotor, a gear portion carried by said container, said rotor having a geared portion rollable over said gear portion of said container during independent rotation of said carrier with respect to said container, and one-Way driving means restricting independent rotation of said carrier upon rotational acceleration of said container in a predetermined direction and thereby maintaining said rotor in an angular position such that said firing portion of said rotor is in disaligned relation with said primer means and said detonating means, said one-way driving means permitting said carrier to rotate faster than said container and overrun said container during rotational deceleration of said container in said direction, whererby the resultant independent rotation of said container may induce rolling movement of said rotor over the gear portion carried by said container to bring said firing portion of said rotor into registry with said primer means and said detonating means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,513 Rogers June 4, 1929 1,755,279 Teitscheid Apr. 22, 1930 1,772,613 Mellstrom Aug. 12, 1930 2,183,073 Honger Dec. 12, 1939 V FOREIGN PATENTS 14,229 Great Britain 1888 1,089 Great Britain 1912 397,451 Great Britain 1933 839,407 France Jan. 4, 1939 

